Our "tough" new sanctions on Iran--read the fine print

AP photo, WAPO story.

Clinton shrugs off the surprise Turkey-Brazil-Iran deal of yesterday, and says this new round of sanctions is about as tough as it can get.

All very nice as a headline, but get down to the bottom of the WAPO piece:

European and U.S. officials have made clear that a new U.N. resolution would be the weakest of three steps toward "crippling sanctions." The other two steps are a European Union resolution and tough unilateral sanctions by individual countries.

But nothing can happen before the imprimatur of a new U.N. resolution, since some European countries will not act on sanctions without U.N. approval. Diplomats said that some of the proposed language in the current resolution was added with the full knowledge that it would be removed by the Russians and Chinese -- but then could be revived in the European resolution. The individual country sanctions would come after the European Union has acted and would be led by the United States, Britain, France, Germany and other like-minded nations, diplomats said.

Turkey and Brazil, which currently hold rotating seats on the Security Council, have expressed opposition to new U.N. sanctions on Iran.

Lebanon also has indicated it would not support a sanctions resolution against Iran, which has provided military and political support to an influential faction in the government, Hezbollah. Lebanon holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council this month, which may complicate efforts to bring the matter for a vote before June.

So tell me what's changed.  It's still the West promising tougher sanctions, the UN as the gridlock, and the non-West talking a big game but acting in their own interests.

Both India and China hailed the Turkey-Brazil-Iran proposal. That tells you all you need to know about how universal these "tough" new sanctions are going to be. Strip away the false promises and this is still the West believing it constitutes a global quorum.